1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for separating fine particles with the particle size typically on the order of 50.about.100 .mu.m.
2. Description of the Related Art
In industries which involve handling of powder, advanced technology for separating particles in accordance with particle diameter makes it possible to separate particles with a micron order diameter. And, influences of the particle shape to the physical properties of the particles have come to be taken into consideration, along with the development of the ceramics industry, and as a result of commercial needs for more fine metal powder in the powder metallurgical industry.
Actually, when preparing shaped bodies of ceramic or metal powder, the particle shape exerts a substantial influence to the strength of the shaped body. On the other hand, during the process of manufacturing spherical particles, it is almost impossible to achieve a perfect spherical configuration. In view of the above, it became necessary to separate particles into spherical particles and non-spherical particles. There have been various proposals concerning methods for separating particles in accordance with the particle shape. However, known methods only permitted separation of particles with the diameter of no less than 0.5 mm, since these methods are generally based on principle whereby particles are separated into spherical particles and non-spherical particles by utilizing difference in rolling or sliding characteristics which exists between spherical and non-spherical particles. Thus, with the above-mentioned known technology, it is difficult to separate particles with the diameter of less than 0.5 mm.